Various types of business and governmental operations such as large construction companies and municipalities which utilize fleets of trucks, automobiles and machines of different types have a continuing need for automatically controlled fuel dispensing systems. Along with the fuel dispensing capability such systems should preferably incorporate a number of additional functions such as control of the type and maximum quantity of fuel supplied to a given vehicle, recording of the type and amount supplied along with the distance or hours-of-use reading of the vehicle, limitation of such services to approved vehicles, and, for reasons of safety, automatically preventing service if the vehicle is running.
Systems of this type may also be employed to serve a clientele consisting of a number of independent customers who have been approved to utilize the system. In such cases additional functions such as automatic credit checks and monthly billing might also be incorporated.
The users of such equipment are invariably interested in convenience and they share with the owner of the system a desire for fast service that will save time for the user and maximize the number of customers who can be served in a given period of time. For these reasons the system should preferably require no action or activating procedure on the part of the user.
The owner of the system also has a need for a system which is as secure as possible against illegal access. For this reason it is highly desirable that the user should not be required to carry a coded card or other activating device which is subject to loss, theft or duplication.